The Trump administration announced Friday that it will authorize firing squads as a federally permitted method of execution, deepening its push to revive the death penalty and drawing a stark contrast with Pope Leo XIV and Catholic teaching. Within hours of the Justice Department’s announcement, the first pontiff from the United States the death penalty as an affront to human dignity.
In a video message shared with DePaul University in Chicago to mark the 15th anniversary of Illinois' abolition of the death penalty, Pope Leo declared that the Catholic Church has consistently taught that each human life, from conception until natural death, is sacred and deserves protection.
"We affirm that the dignity of the person is not lost even after very serious crimes are committed," the Pope said. "Furthermore, effective systems of detention can be and have been developed that protect citizens while at the same time do not completely deprive those who are guilty of the possibility of redemption."
The Pope further offered his support “to those who advocate for the abolition of the death penalty in the United States of America and around the world.”
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